by Kimberly Davies
Imagine a world where topless dancers are seen as class entertainment, where interviewees on a documented news program are questioned in the nude, where billboard advertisements picture a beautiful woman wearing only a pair of jeans. Imagine that same world where naked breasts and other body parts are under a steamy showerhead, representing ads for soaps, body lotions, shampoos and other hygiene products, where magazine articles include vivid pictures of couples having deep, passionate sex. Imagine, once again, a world where documentaries show clips of men playing soccer in the nude and couples strolling down the aisles of a grocery store with nothing on. Now contrast all that with a country that requires lovers on soap operas, or any other type of television program, to keep their hands above the sheets of their bed, a country where cartoon characters at DisneyWorld are demanded to show both hands in pictures taken by tourists. Contrast that with a country that disapproves of public displays of affection between two lovers, even though that display may be no more than a long embrace, where high school students are sent home and punished for wearing shorts or skirts that rise above mid-thigh.
The two scenarios described above are in no way fictional creations. They are both very real, and the descriptions have been seen from a first-hand view: my own. The former is France, the latter, the United States. When it comes to sexual activity, these two countries are worlds apart. Their societies and cultures may not look so diverse from one another, but when religion, politics, history, and the law are examined, we may begin to notice the differences that exist in the very touchy subject of sex.
When asked to write a paper in the realm of publishing, I thought about the attitudes involved in such a taboo area, and I began to question the two cultures' portrayal of sex. How can one country be so open, while the other is so tremendously reserved about human sexuality? Such an attitude, either liberal or puritanistic, is presented daily in publicities, magazines, on the street, in television programming and movies, and in the literature that we read. Because love, romance and sex compose such a large part of humanity, it is not difficult to see why we, as human beings, as human animals, are so fascinated and interested in this subject area. Reproduction and the feelings, attitudes and actions that go along with it are essential to the reasons why our human world continues to function. It is due to this wonder and reality of love and sex that so many authors and publishers produce works of a sexual nature. Writing and publishing then becomes an attempt for individuals to explore themselves, and others, through sexual experiences and then to distribute this knowledge and emotion through the medium of books.
One might think that the French are just as liberal in their published writings as they are in their public display of sexuality; and in some aspects, they are. But what surprises me most is that long lists have been produced in France naming censored books throughout history. I believed that only the United States, in relation to France, was the exclusive nation to censor, ban, and burn books that dealt with a sexual nature. Great French authors like Charles Baudelaire, Gustave Flaubert, Emile Zola, and Guillaume Apollinaire have had many problems with writings that are too racy for the public. In this paper, I will examine some of these names, as well as American authors, and compare the feelings, attitudes, and actions taken against these writers and their literature. I will need to compare and contrast the books that have been accepted in one culture and not the other, writings that should never have been banned but were, and publishers who were allowed or prohibited from disseminating such sexual works.
To begin, it is necessary to define the words "pornography", "erotica", and plain, old "smut".
Pornography - (n) obscene literature, art, or photography, esp. that having little or no artistic merit (Random House, 1033).
Erotica - (n) literature or art dealing with sexual love (Random House, 449).
Smut - (n) indecent language or an obscene publication (Random House, 1243).
It is quite clear that there is little variation between the three defined terms. The censorship of sexual literature is a difficult subject because of this and also because there are no real measures in choosing what can be classified as obscene, and what cannot. The same types of questions are continuously raised. What constitutes forbidden obscenity? Publications are offensive to whom? Who has the final say in what can be censored or banned? How should censorship be enforced? Such thought-provoking ideas are essential when researching cross-cultural attitudes and laws. We must take into consideration the feelings and perceptions on areas like human sexuality within both countries, which have been assumed and practiced by the citizens of those nations for generations.
After reading the above description of the widely displayed examples of sexuality in France, Americans may think that all Frenchmen and women are sex-crazed and promiscuous. In fact, this idea is mainly only myth. While it is true that the French are stereotypically portrayed as great romantics, much of this is just talk. We must take into account that such generalities are not always true, and that such views or comments must be considered with a very skeptical attitude. We can only be truly sure of the realities of a culture as a whole by actually experiencing and living within it. "Parisians like to talk about sex", states David Applefield, American author of Paris Inside Out, a tour guide of Paris and its people. He says that they love to verbalize their fantasies, exhibitionist yearnings, and private desires, although not necessarily ever translating any of this into reality. The French are more driven by the enjoyment of the act of seduction than the act itself. In respect to cultural attitudes though, they are a lot less concerned or uptight about sex and nudity than we are in the United States. In some French boutiques, women may try on blouses out in the open, or while at the beach, they may change from a bathing suit to their street clothes in public. Such actions do not disturb the French, because to them, toplessness isn't even considered to be nudity (Applefield, 1996).
Applefield makes a very valid point about the French. Though he cannot be considered an expert on the ways of the French, he has had first-hand experience in observing their behavior, concluding that they are not as easily shocked by sex or nudity. Such an idea becomes extremely important while dealing with their attitudes involving sexuality and publishing. Published nudity cannot be viewed as obscene, in the eyes of the French, if they have been raised to see it as normal, a natural and essential part in knowing the human body. Basically, nudity is not a dirty thing, nor should it be considered as such. It should be no more taboo than the sight of someone eating or of someone blinking their eye. The human body is just a natural thing and part of human creation. As author D.H. Lawrence once said, "Pornography, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder" (Loth, 21). Published nudity only becomes pornographic when the culture in which it is distributed declares that there is something wrong, something evil in its content.
The French have not always been so liberal about sex though. During the 1800's, women's clothing hid their sexuality because it was seen as "dangerous" or "unspeakable", whereas today, the fashion industry creates its market on producing outfits that show off a woman's figure (Schehr, 149). Frenchmen have also proved to be quite homophobic, as they promote heterosexual couples through advertisement, while defining homosexuality as abnormal and deviant behavior (Rosario II, 1992). Rarely are Frenchmen displayed in sexually objectified publicities, like a commercial for men's cologne or underwear, for example, either by themselves or in same-sex groups. Furthermore, former French Prime Minister, Edith Cresson, claimed in a 1987 television interview that homosexuality was a condition that did not exist, or barely existed, in the "Latin tradition". She continued to state that Anglo-Saxons were much less interested in admiring women in the streets than Frenchmen, and that 25% of Anglo-Saxon men were homosexual. She attributed such a "deviant perversion" to a "problem of education". Cresson declared, "I consider it something of a weakness. A man who isn't interested in women is in some way a little maimed." The fact that one of the heads of government would actually state something to this effect on national television shows this fear or aversion to homosexuality. Published works of a homosexual nature have also been frequently chastised in France. Books like The Young and the Evil by American authors, Parker Tyler and Charles Henri Ford, The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall, and My Life and Loves by Frank Harris are just a few examples of controversial homosexual texts in France and around the world (St. Jorre, 14). And then, we finally arrive at the issue of censored sexual literature.
Throughout early French history and up until the Revolution of 1789, indecency had been condemned. At this time, actions were taken against obscenity in order to protect the clergy or the king. Under Napoleon, in 1810, literature and song were scrutinized by the law, gradually leading up to a new order delegated in 1819. A new law entitled "outrage a la morale publique et religieuse et aux bonnes moeurs" (outrage to public and religious morality and to good morals) was born and still exists today. Such a declaration penalized any author, musician, or artist for producing works deemed as sexually explicit. Writers like Voltaire, Rousseau, l'Abbe Prevost, and Louvet de Couvray were some of the first to be affected by the strict regulations on their artistic talents, where their books were seized and condemned. From this point on, French law waffled back and forth with their views and treatment of obscenity.
During the year of 1857, two very important cases of censorship came into the public eye, proving once again that even the most celebrated authors could come under attack of the harsh morality legislation in France. In January, Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary came under prosecution, only to be followed, several months later, by Les Fleurs Du Mal, a poetry collection by Charles Baudelaire. Both works are now deemed French classics, among the very best, so it is difficult to imagine the controversy that both authors stimulated.
Gustave Flaubert's celebrated classic, Madame Bovary, provides an excellent example of a literary work that was banned in both the United States and France. Because of the early time period, it is necessary to realize that what once was called morally outrageous would be regarded today as tame romance. The standards of what is "obscene" cannot be translated as times change and people evolve. Madame Bovary is an extremely important case, however, as this particular title still remained blacklisted by the National Organization of Decent Literature in the United States in 1954 (Haight, 48). Flaubert's masterpiece went under attack for the first time in January 1857. The plot seems rather harmless where Emma Bovary, the wife of a small town physician, Charles Bovary, speaks of her dreams, loves, and longings, which eventually lead to her downfall. Flaubert is actually portraying himself through the stories of Madame Bovary. Regardless of how the work might be considered today, Madame Bovary was declared a moral outrage by French authorities. Flaubert was later acquitted on the grounds that in depicting vice through his characters, he was actually only attempting to promote virtue (Craig, 180).
The second essential case of censorship in nineteenth century France involved Charles Baudelaire and his famous collection of poetry, Les Fleurs du Mal. This work suffered a great deal of abuse in the press during the summer of 1857 (Craig, 180). Consisting largely of decadence, eroticism, and spiritual revelation, Baudelaire's poems were charged as an outrage to public decency, and 6 specific works were banned from his manuscript, which was finally granted publication in 1861. Baudelaire, along with his printer and publisher were arrested and individually fined 300 francs . In protest, Baudelaire continued to work on his poetry, eventually publishing an edition of Les Fleurs du Mal containing the 6 prohibited poems, plus 35 more written in the same erotic and forbidden style. Of course, such work was not accepted by French publishing houses, so this new edition was produced in Belgium in 1866, under the title, Les Epaves. The Belgian version became quite popular with the French, as it quietly circulated around the country. Finally, in 1949, the French lifted the ban on the original 6 poems (Haight, 46).
The late nineteenth century brought further legislation, protecting the French population from such "obscenities" as described above. The Law of 1881 instituted a huge codification on laws of liberty of the press, repealing previous legislation and covering every medium of publication. Article 28 of the Constitution imposed severe penalties for works deemed outrages to public morality, and such regulations were further strengthened by amendments created in 1882, 1898, and 1908. To continue in the tradition of censored books, articles 119-128 of the Decret-Loi of July 29, 1939 states that it is an offense to produce, possess, transport, distribute, sell, import or export, or advertise for commercial purposes any writing or illustrations "contraires aux bonnes moeurs". At this time, any material viewed as obscene and subject to prosecution could be seized by customs and postal authorities could refuse to send or receive the work in question (Craig, 185). Such penalties are still in effect today although judicial practices have placed strict limits on the exercise of this power. A serious threat to law and order and a situation of urgency through obscene works must be prevalent in order for this most extreme measure to be taken (French Government, 1989). Safeguards were also established to protect authors stating that; prosecution must be instituted within three years of the commission of the offense; rather than destruction of the questionable material, the court may donate it to one of the state museums and ; the prosecution of books may only be charged following a decision from a special committee which advices the Minister of Justice (Craig, 185).
Since the late 19th century/early 20th century, French laws have become more open to free publication, thus allowing practically all materials, whether obscene or not, to be produced, published, and distributed. Reverting back to the Constitution of 1791 which declares that:
Freedom is granted to all men to speak, write, print, and publish their thoughts without their writings being subject to any form of censorship or prior inspection.
and articles 10 and 11 of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen stating that:
No man ought to be molested on account of his opinions, including his religious opinions, when their expression does not disturb public order as established by law.
it is now a firm belief of the French Government that adults should be free to read, write, or publish as they wish. Thus, the reason why censorship of sexual materials in France has been almost completely abolished in our contemporary world.
France certainly holds a reputation of tolerance and acceptance towards the avant-garde in the arts. This can be proven by examples where French publishing houses become havens for authors wishing to produce and distribute their works. Authors who are rejected in their own countries from producing a final copy of their work turn to France and its liberal attitudes, where they are most readily accepted. An Adult's Story by Robert Desmond, Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov, William Burrough's The Naked Lunch, and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, and Tropic of Capricorn are among the many literary works to find an outlet for production and distribution in Paris. Generally, French authorities have no problem with such a system, as long as the published material remains written in its original language, leaving the French language untouched (Green, 112). One such Parisian publishing house that invited foreign authors to escape a world of censorship and oppression became a huge success, enjoying almost a half-century of promoting the avant-garde, the obscene, and ironically, some of the works that have become literary classics. That company is the Olympia Press.
It is important to present the story of this particular publishing house in order to illustrate an example of a French company that gained much success and notoriety due to its dissemination of obscene materials, as well as the laissez-faire reaction by French authorities. The Olympia Press, formerly named the Obelisk Press, was founded in Paris in 1953 by Maurice Girodias, son of his predecessor, Jack Kahane. Both father and son were dedicated to the practice of supporting new and experimental literary works, even though they were well aware of the possible consequences for maintaining such a controversial business.
In 1928, Jack Kahane began the business after realizing, through his own censored book, Laugh and Grow Rich, that "spice between the covers invoked censorship, which triggered protest, which produced sales" (St. Jorre, 6). As one of their opening projects, Kahane and his business partner, Henri Babou, published Ulysses, by James Joyce, a literary masterpiece that was banned and burned throughout most of the world. Other books that were prohibited from American and British consumption, due to their homosexual or racial nature, found their success through the Obelisk Press. The Young and the Evil by Parker Tyler and Charles Henri Ford, The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall, Boy by James Hanley, and Amour=French for Love under the pseudonym of Cecil Barr found both a haven and a great deal of controversy through the business of Jack Kahane. Next came D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterly's Lover, in 1936, another scandalous work and Kahane's last published work. The man known as Bootlegger Jack died September 2, 1939, leaving his company, along with its horrendous debts, and greatest respect from his favorite clients and authors like Henry Miller, Anais Nin, and Lawrence Durrell to his 20-year-old son, Maurice Kahane.
After several name changes of the Obelisk Press, from the Unicorn Press to the Editions du Chene, along with his own personal name change, from Kahane to his mother's maiden name, Girodias (in order to hide his Jewish heritage from the Germans), Maurice Girodias began to earn some notoriety and success with the newly founded Olympia Press (St. Jorre, 1994). Much like his father, Girodias took many risks in order to promote those artist with great talent, but no chance to demonstrate their work. As one reviewer for New Statesman and Society describes the situation, "Girodias has that odd ability to reconcile high art with groin-level pulp" (Morton, 38). While owner of the Press, Girodias published a number of highly obscene works that were immediately banned in countries around the world. Books like Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov, The Ginger Man by J.P. Donleavy, The Naked Lunch by William Burroughs, The Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller, and a collection of "DB's" (dirty books), as Girodias liked to call them, with titles such as White Thighs, With Open Mouth, and Whips Incorporated. The title alone for some of these published works illustrates the extremely high level of obscenity that was allowed to be manufactured in France (Green, 222).
Such a risky mixture of the avant-garde and grandly displayed pornography worked with much success up until the 1950's, but the Olympia Press encountered a great deal of problems beginning in the mid 50's. At this time, the liberal atmosphere from which Girodias had so tremendously profited ended when Olympia Press published the memoirs of a resistance leader who alleged that several members of the current government had collaborated with the Germans during World War II. Authorities raided the press October 10, 1956, instantly banning 25 titles. So, in fact, Girodias and his business would most likely have been left alone if he had only concentrated on the publication of sexual literature, and not on political writings. The French government made a compromise with Girodias, declaring that he could continue his practice if his books were not exhibited or advertised. They could, nontheless, be ordered by mail or obtained on demand.
With the 1958 election of General Charles de Gaulle as president of the Republique Francaise, censorship tightened and Girodias was charged with outraging public morals through his books. Not only were existing Olympia titles under attack, but the government also went after several works that were already out of print, and even two or three that Girodias had not published at all (St. Jorre, 268). An 80-year ban was placed on all publication at Olympia Press, Girodias was sentenced to 4 to 6 years in prison, and was fined $80,000. By 1960, the infamous owner of Olympia Press had witnessed a ban on 41 of his titles and faced 25 separate indictments for obscenity (Green, 112). This was the end of a publishing house that rebelled against all the rules of morality and decency.
From the years of a successful Olympia Press came an American author who is celebrated for the widespread commotion his obscene books caused.
Henry Miller, author of The Tropic of Cancer, Black Spring, The Tropic of Capricorn, The Rosy Crucifixion, Sexus, Plexus, and Nexus, just to name a few, suffered many American attacks on his work. So, like other chastised American writers who desired the freedom to express themselves as they pleased (Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Scott Fitzgerald, for example), Miller left the United States for Paris with only a toothbrush, some clothes, and dreams of living his life the way he wanted. The Tropic of Cancer, named one of the most famous "obscene books" in the history of literature, is basically Miller's story of that liberated life in Paris, where he tries to become a writer and eventually succeeds. The main thrust of the book is Miller's attempt to live free from social and moral conventions, where he includes graphic descriptions of his sexual adventures with many women and formerly taboo four-letter words (Magill, 1986). For Miller, The Tropic of Cancer was not a book "in the ordinary sense of the word. No, this is a prolonged insult, a gob of spit in the face of Art, a kick in the pants to God, Man, Destiny, Time, Love, Beauty . . .what you will. I am going to sing for you", he says, "a little off key perhaps, but I will sing" (St. Jorre, 25). Henry Miller knew very well what type of reaction his work would receive and seemed delighted at the prospect of shocking almost the entire literate world.
Unlike his fellow American writers, however, Miller's very questionable books were added to the French list of banned literature, in addition to being censored in the United States and England. A ban was set on The Tropic of Cancer in 1938 by the United States government, prohibiting any copy of this book from entering the U.S (Haight, 74). Eight years later, in 1946, Miller, his publishers and French translators were brought to court by the president of the Cartel d'Actions Sociales et Morales, an anti-vice society. They were charged once again by the famous statute, outrage to public morality. Miller and his entourage were greatly supported by many famous and influential writers and later acquitted by amnesty (Craig, 187). The problem of Miller's obscene literature was also resolved in the United States when the government lifted the 23-year ban in 1961. The Tropic of Cancer is, nontheless, currently deemed "obscene" by the Citizens for Decent Literature (Haight, 74).
As a result of Miller's political confrontations, he set the stage for experimental authors to come. If The Tropic of Cancer, along with Miller's other shocking works, had not caused such a commotion throughout the world, government officials, booksellers, librarians, teachers, citizens would never have taken a second look at objectionable books. They would never have tried to look past the sexual exterior of the work to focus more deeply on the actual written and artistic content that lied within. Legislation would never have been softened or liberated, leaving book lovers everywhere without the choice to read what interested them. That's actually what the censorship debate is about, at least in democratic nations based upon a citizen's freedom to speak, express, and choose. It should not be up to those in power to choose what you can or cannot do, especially when that power is originally based on democratic principles. So, due to the controversy surrounding Henry Miller and his eventual triumph (among others writers as well) over censorship, contemporary authors have earned the right to write and publish as they wish. That is not to say that contemporary works are always easily accepted, but now they at least have advocates of freedom of expression and choice supporting them in the continual fight over censorship. Two such authors that seek to shock the public through their liberal ideas have been included in my study, as they prove to be perfect examples of controversial writers that have eventually been accepted. The first is French author, Tony Duvert, the second, Madonna.
This next case study was actually not intended. I have never heard of the contemporary French author, Tony Duvert, but from reading several reviews on his writing, as well as excerpts from his books, I feel that he is a perfect example for my research. Duvert is not all that well-known in the United States, and fortunately for him, because I am sure that if more Americans read his scandalous works on homosexuality and child pornography, there would be yet another uproar of the inappropriateness of his writings. At the time of his first book release, Tony Duvert was 21 years old. This work, entitled Recidive, published in 1967, became the first of five to appear before 1973 (Chapsal, 74). And already with his first, various opinions were raised. A. Thiher, a book reviewer for World Literature Today, states that Recidive was "something of a succes de scandale in France". Just as Jack Kahane of the Obelisk Press had discovered, scandal and controversy sells books, Duvert's writing is anything but tame. However, it is not his sole intention to shock the public, but instead to express his feelings and thoughts without being afraid to do so. Much of Duvert's pleasure comes from the actual writing of his books. "Duvert's fantasies are conveyed by a writer who is quite aware of contemporary narrative experimentation in France", says Thiher. Recidive is "about the quest for narration as much as the fantasies". And he succeeds quite well through his original style of writing as shown by his prize-winning novel, Paysage de Fantasie (Strange Landscape), his fifth book.
Journalist Madeleine Chapsal of the French journal, Express, states that Duvert's Paysage de Fantasie is "scandalous", yet has proven to be a big hit. Winner of the 1973 Prix Medicis, Strange Landscape has been celebrated for its artistic content, but still remains out of reach from the ordinary book browser in France (Choice, 374). Though it is not censored in its native country, Strange Landscape, as well as Duvert's other books, is not readily or freely displayed in French bookstores and must be asked for upon demand. The reason for this is the recurring theme in Duvert's writing where childhood is brought to desire. And that is exactly what is described in his novels. Scenes of children in sexual circumstances, with both adults and other children, shock the author's reading public, but has somehow avoided any type of controversy.
Paysage de Fantasie is set in a French chateau, presided over by a woman doctor, her husband, and their young henchman. Several boys, aged 8 to 14 years old, formerly slum kids, are bought from their families to satisfy the sexual urges of a number of successful, wealthy men. The novel is an account of their experiences at the chateau, where some boys fall in love with each other, while other boys react in very opposite ways. I have included certain excerpts as to illustrate the extent of pornography displayed in this "prize-winning" story.
. . . he stretches out on his back leaning on one elbow kneecaps shining as
he bends both legs he took out a long filter cigarette he smokes in his
manner no longer so frank one hand shoved down there between his Have you
already sucked cock? watch me I can suck myself off
both hands now under both legs knees that bend back toward his belly body
curving into a ball he stuck out his long tongue licked the tip of it with
it he stops once to crush the cigarette Move further away I need more elbow
room for this trick a half-somersault backward to raise his ass
high in the air legs swinging wide and free his nose smack up against his
balls now he moves his mouth experimentally along . . . and finally
succeeds after a couple tries . . . I feel around in my own briefs
touching my own it's exciting excited we get all undressed . ..
Now, there's an example of some of the boys who enjoyed their sexual adventures, but unfortunately, not all the boys felt the same way.
Lulu grows hard he's still hoping that maybe tonight Bernard will
perhaps they move down the dark meadow cloud shadows cutting until
they reach the riverbank Bernard pants pants already down around his ankles
orders Lulu Lie there on your back and shut your eyes now open your mouth
he moves closer with his flashlight I said shut your eyes fatso faggot
all right
now you won't open them again until I tell you right?
right Bernard squatting above Lulu plunges his cock down
the kid's throat then takes it out again he sits down hard upon that fat
frightened face and grunts Lulu smells something at last understands
struggles but the tip of the turd has already smeared his nose his forehead
even his mop of hair he gasps breaks loose runs down to wash himself off in
the stream Bernard calmly finishes his labors the whole turd finally
emerging he laughs loudly hunting around in the shadowy grass for some
leaves to wipe himself off with calling out to Lulu who refuses to answer
Hey cuntface if I ever see you again I'll smash all your teeth in I swear
it
This display of gross sexual deviance resulted only because Lulu, the victim, wouldn't, or couldn't, give Bernard, the bully, ten francs (about $2.00). These two excerpts are just a few examples of the many obscene and very disheartening scenes throughout Paysage de Fantasie by Tony Duvert.
Duvert describes his work as more than just pornography though. He says that he writes for those who may have dreams where children play the roles, dreams that morality condemns, of which society disapproves and justice chastises. Duvert says that if one wants to write and talk about sexuality, one needs to know it personally for a long period of time, in reality as well as in fantasy. His published works try to provide that reality (Chapsal, 75). It is amazing to me that, after reading and displaying the above passages, among others, from Duvert's literature, he has not received any type of warning or sanction against sexually explicit material.
Some reviewers admire his work as they look past the gross display of child pornography and focus more on Duvert's techniques of writing. Elaine F. Palencia, reviewer for Library Journal, both chastises and congratulates Strange Landscape. She announces, "For coprophiliacs, necrophiliacs and sadistic pedophiles, who know something about Art and know what they like, this is the ticket . . . The uneasy mix of primitivism and decadence is held together by the obsessive meanderings of a single narrative voice which slithers around to any number of points of view, the better to see every angle of the singularly repetitive action. That's ART, folks: the author knows . . . that the site of pleasure is the language itself." Other American reviewers have not been so kind to Duvert's scandalous novel declaring it "an indecency. Strange Landscape is a kind of mucous finger-painting about the auto-and-homoerotic activities of a group of boys taken to a strange house where they spend hours sodomizing and being sodomized cheek to cheek . . . The dirty words . . . are unrepeatable. The book was awarded one of those undistinguishably meaningless prizes - the Medicis - in 1973, but there are more French literary prizes than in any resort hotel Bingo game. Except for the lack of punctuation and the three or four empty spaces which serve no useful purpose, it is hard to justify Le Monde's claim that Duvert 'transforms our notion of novelistic time' " (Kirkus Reviews, 88).
But the question still remains whether books should be judged on their artistic qualities or on the ideas displayed within. It is necessary for everyone to realize that literature is a form of Art and should be viewed as such. Choice magazine reminds readers to keep this debate of style vs. content in mind while examining Paysage de Fantasie. "The entire book - related in unpunctuated prose, interrupted by blanks, pauses, half-completed thoughts, with cinematographic sequences melting one into the other - totally disorients the confused reader, so that one must ask: Is it a gigantic hoax or a serious attempt at art?".
Apparently, Duvert's works have been accredited upon the artistic style of his writing, both in France and the United States. Neither country has banned such a controversial book, although well-aware of the dangers an explosive material like this may cause.
Another scandalous work that has been gradually and hesitantly placed on library bookshelves all over the world is Madonna's book Sex.
Madonna, glorified American pop singer, has recently delayed her singing career to become a provocative author. October 21, 1992 marked the date of the unveiling of Madonna's latest shock on her American public. Sex, the title of her new book, is composed of 128 pages, filled with black and white pictures welcoming the world into the private fantasies of Madonna Louise Ciccone. These sexual fantasies include graphic photographs involving men, women, a dog in various combinations, and of course, Madonna herself. Did she achieve her goal of shaking the United States up a bit? That's difficult to say, since the debut of Sex became the center of a heated debate between two principle arguments: Freedom of speech and expression vs. censorship and pornography vs. art. Much to the dismay of Madonna, the actual importance of her book alone stood only as a catalyst to other more essential topics.
Librarians and booksellers fought for the rights of Madonna's book to appear among other materials on the shelves. Some important figure heads even lost their jobs over the Sex saga. In October 1993, Library Journal presented an article entitled, "Board Member Axed over Access to Sex", describing the war that the Beliot Public Library in Wisconsin fought in order to keep Sex as part of the library collection. Kay Clark, vice president of the Board of Trustees, lost her position after allowing Madonna's book to enter the Beliot Public Library without any attached age limit. The article offered no definite reasons why Clark was fired, but did state that she was sure to be reappointed before the Sex scandal arose.
Judith Sees, the chair of Monroe County Library System's Board of Trustees in Michigan, turned in her letter of resignation in February of 1993 after receiving threats from about 20 families to remove their children from a 4H program run by Sees. With the support of more than 1,450 other families for Sees' decision on the implementation of Sex in the library, she eventually withdrew her resignation and continued her battle for the First Amendment. Consequently, 5 copies of Madonna's work have remained in the library's collection since November 1992 (Flagg, 290).
Libraries feel that it is their duty to provide access to new and upcoming books, no matter how questionable that material may be. Such a standard holds especially true when the book in question is a best-selling autobiography by one of the most famous pop stars in the world. And because the Time-Warner produced book is sold at an expensive $49.95, citizens interested in reading Sex are more likely to check it out of the library rather than own a personal copy. As of April 1993, backlogs of unfilled requests from patrons on a waiting list reached a rate of 180 in certain libraries. Gordon Flagg, journalist for American Libraries, lists 3 major reasons for purchasing Madonna's collection of photos: 1.) it immediately rocketed to the top of the best-seller list, 2.) the vast push by publicity behind it has created immense interest in the title beyond the normal book buying audience, and 3.) it makes new patrons for the library.
So, it would seem that Sex has had a wide support system regarding its inclusion in the library collection, but Flagg has also listed 4 reasons why the book should not be bought: 1.) no advance reviews were presented, 2.) reviews finally appeared when the book was almost universally panned, 3.) poor binding and quality, and 4.) too expensive for book budgets. Such reasons may be valid to why Sex should not be included in the library, but personally, I believe that these are just excuses to dissuade the public from their interest in Sex. Because booksellers and librarians are such devote advocates for the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, isn't it possible that they are trying to censor Madonna's title without blatantly doing so? By providing the public with reasons against the promotion of Sex, they seem to be sending a message that this book should not be viewed.
Book reviewers appeared to be using the same technique in regards to Madonna's Sex. Much of the feedback was rather mundane, a sort of communal yawn, in fact. Instead of negative uproars, journalists commented on Madonna's book with remarks like, "You can tell you're out of touch with your fellow Americans when the reigning sex goddess is someone you wouldn't take home with you if she were the last woman left in the bar", "Madonna has done more for dogs than anyone since Albert Paysan Terhune", "Dust, not sulfur, rises from these pages", and "I've read juicer descriptions in recipe books". If Sex was not banned from American readers, such commentaries would certainly dissuade anyone from investing near $50.00. But regardless, Madonna's book sold out many times over in major bookstores such as Barnes and Noble. I believe that book reviewers, similar to librarians, were attempting to ban Sex in a round-about way; this time with words rather than with the actual removal of the collection. As of October 22, 1992, there had been only one physical instance of censorship, where a bookstore located in Juneau, Alaska returned six copies of Madonna's book stating that it did not conform to their family-style store (Le Monde, 1992) .
On the other side of the Atlantic, France basically welcomed Sex with open arms. In January 1993, Livres Hebdo classified it at the top of their list of "Beaux Livres" (Best-Sellers), while "7 sur 7", a popular French talk show, invited Madonna to discuss her new project of collected photos (Le Monde, 1993). But no one ever really doubted the fact that the French would instantly flock to Sex. What did come as a surprise was a temporary blockade on the northern west coast of France, in a town called Le Havre, by customs officers, prohibiting the entry of Madonna's "literary" work. Customs was actually only waiting for an affirmation from the Interior Minister to allow the shipment to proceed.
Whether Sex has been easily accepted or not, the controversial book stimulates yet another problem of access. That is the access to minors. We may say that censorship affects everyone and that we should all have the chance to read what we want, but does that also include children who may be exposed to and emotionally affected by Madonna's graphic obscenities? Many American libraries have placed age limits on the book, prohibiting it from anyone under 18, and holding it in inaccessible reserve areas where patrons need to ask specifically for it. Debates have been raised by those libraries that have kept the book openly available to anyone with a library card, as we have witnessed in the case of Kay Clark of the Beliot Public Library in Wisconsin. Censorship from children leads to yet another touchy situation. On one hand, citizens want to keep their children safe from topics that they are just too young to discover, and thus, the censorship of sexual literature, in both schools and children's rooms at the library. On the other hand, a fight for anti-censorship should mean abolishing censorship for all books. If there is to be no more censorship, we cannot make exceptions for certain individuals. I also feel that the majority of recent censorship cases in the United States have been triggered by controversial books within the classroom. Great classics like William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice, Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man in the Sea, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying have all encountered some sort of banning within the American school system. Other well-known authors like Judy Blume, John Updike, Steven King and J.D. Salinger have also witnessed numerous debates on whether their work is acceptable to children.
France tries to protect its young as well, although no reported cases of censored books have been discovered in this study. I have mentioned earlier that French adults are no longer restricted in any way from reading as they chose. Children's reading material, however, is protected by a series of legislation and committees. Through a desire to protect minors, the Ministry of Justice has established a special commission to pre-censor all materials aimed at the youth market, and through the legislation of July 16,1949, designed to protect children aged 18 and under, the Minister of the Interior may forbid the sale, exposure, or advertisement of any material deemed "licentious or pornographic". Furthermore, articles 119-128 of the Decret-Loi of July 29, 1939 were created to protect "the family, parenthood, and race" stating that it is an offense to make, possess, transport, distribute, sell, import or export, or advertise for commercial purposes any writing or pictures deemed contrary to public morality. Such powerful laws could very easily remove most children's classics and fairy tales if destructive themes were discovered as harmful to a child's mentality or emotional state. In 1986, the Paris City Council set up a working party to establish a monthly booklist, presenting those children's books that librarians could choose for their collection. In the French tradition for liberty and justice, the French did not support such an idea, and instead, in 1987, developed a united group of librarians, authors, and publishers called Renvoyons la Censure (Reject Censorship) to make sure that censorship and book banning will never appear in the future.
Censorship and sex - two very controversial subjects that seem to attract each other throughout history. We cannot say that France's lenient attitude toward sexual literature is neither a good nor a bad thing. Similarly, it is difficult to say that the United States is too harsh with its regulation on the publication and dissemination of books. Both countries have accepted Tony Duvert's books, which I personally found to be shocking and offensive, without much debate, while neither country allowed the sale or distribution of The Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller for many, many years. Today Miller's book is considered a classic, leaving readers to wonder what all the fuss was about back in the 1950's. Madonna's book may be as shocking as Duvert's, but has also overcome controversy, taking its place amongst other cherished literary works. These three authors, plus the Olympia Press, who broke virtually all the rules of publishing, have paved the way for other experimental writers.
The problem that remains today is the prospect that sexual literature may become even more shocking than what we have already come to accept and acknowledge as "artsy" type writing. With more liberal regulations toward censorship, both in contemporary France and the United States, authors may dare to expose sex as they have never done before. We need to expect this and prepare for the worst, without retreating to earlier days of book burning and banning. As times progress, our minds tend to be more open to what can be explored and studied, and we should be constantly reminded of the efforts made by certain intrepid authors, leaving the world free to read the books they love.
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2.) Banned Books, http://fileroom.aaup.uic.edu/FileRoom/document/cases/
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4.) "Board Member Axed over Access to Sex", Library Journal, v.118, October 1, 1993, p.16.
5.) Castel, Frederic, "Le Nouveau Cathechisme de l'Eglise Catholique, Meilleure Vente de l'Edition en France", Le Monde, January 12, 1993.
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21.) Magill, Frank N.(ed.), Masterplots II, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, v.4, 1986.
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27.) St. Jorre, John, Venus Bound: The Erotic Voyage of the Olympia Press and Its Writers, New York: Random House, 1994.
28.) Stein, Jess (ed.), The Random House College Dictionary, New York: Random House, Inc., 1979.
29.) "Strange Landscape", Choice, v.13, May 1976, p.374.
30.) "Strange Landscape", The Kirkus Reviews, v.44, January 15, 1976, p.88.
31.) "Strange Landscape", Publisher's Weekly, v.209, January 19, 1976, p.98.
32.) "Succes de Librairie pour l'Album Photos de Madonna", Agence France Presse, October 22, 1992.
33.) Thiher, A., "Recidive", World Literature Today, v.51, Spring 1977, p.249.
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